Car-coupling.



No. 801,121. PATENTED OCT. 3,1905. M. 1. WELOH.

OAR COUPLING.

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No. 801,121. PATENTED OCT. 3,1905. M. I. WELGH.

CAR COUPLING.

AP IIIIIIIIIIIIIII 0V.25. 1904.

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No. 801,121. PATENTED OGT. 3,1905. M. 1. WELGH.

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mmgn" UNITE STATES PATENT OFFTGE.

MICHAEL I. \VELCH, OF CORDELE, GEORGIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO LEMUEL O. AVERETT, OF CORDELE, GEORGIA, AND ONE-HALF TO ERNEST L. HILL, OF COLUMBUS, GEORGIA.

CAR-COUPLING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 3, 1905.

Application filed November 25,1904. Serial No. 234,271.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, MICHAEL I. WELoH, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Cordele, in the county of Dooly and State of Georgia, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Oar-Couplings, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in ear-couplings; and the object is to provide an automatic car-coupling on the Master Oar- Builders lines which comprises few parts not likely to get out of order, of simple construction, and of sufficient strength in its various parts to Withstand the strain and punishment to which equipments of this character are con stantly subjected.

With the foregoing objects in view my present invention consists in three parts namely, a draw-head, a knuckle, and a locking-pin, the knuckle being so constructed that the drawing strain thereupon is communicated partially, if not wholly, to the draw-head directly, and the strain is thus removed from the pin,which pivotally attaches the knuckle to the draw-head, and the locking-pin so arranged and constructed that it automatically turns and locks the knuckle when closed and releases the latter when raised and also throws the knuckle open when not otherwise obstructed when the pin is raised from its normal position.

My present invention further consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts,which will be hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a horizontal section through the draw-head, knuckle, and locking-pin,showing the knuckle open. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the drawhead. Fig. 3 is a view in perspective of the knuckle removed from the draw-head. Fig. 4

. is a view in plan of one coupling and in horisection on line 8 8 .Of Fig. 6.

zontal section of the other, the knuckles being in their locked position. Fig. 5 is a View in perspective of the coupling looking toward the front with the knuckle open. Figs. 6 and 7 are views of the locking-pin. Fig. 8 is a draw-head. It is provided with ribs 1 1 at one edge to give strength, and it is chambered out through the interior 2, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4, and provided on one of its interior vertical walls with a lug or projection 3.

B indicates the knuckle, the same being pivoted in place by a pin 4, passing through a hole 5 in the draw-head and 6 in the tail of the knuckle provided to receive it, and upon this pin the knuckle swings, as indicated in Figs. 1 and 4:, more particularly the former, showing the knuckle open and the latter showing it closed. The tail of the knuckle is provided with a notch 7 ,which conforms in shape to the lug or projection 3 on the inner wall of the draw-head and receives the latter when the knuckle is closed, the object of this construction being to take the pulling strain. which would otherwise be on the pin 1, from said pin, transferring it, to the draw head itself, the sharp shoulders at the rear of the lug and notch receiving and sustaining this strain. The knuckle is controlled-that is to say, locked or releasedby the locking-pin C, and this locking-pin is for the most part cylindrical in form and fitted to a hole 8, adapted to receive it and in which it is capable of turning and sliding, and a cap 9 at the top or upper end is adapted to rest upon the boss 10 to close the hole 8 when in its normal position to keep out rain, dirt, or other extraneous material. The locking-pin has a V-shaped groove 11 molded in one side and extending from the lower end to a point near the top, and the edge 12 is the means whereby the knuckle is locked in itsclosed position, as shown in Fig. 4:, which it does by embracing the edge 13 of the knuckle when the latter is closed, and the locking-pin is held in this position by the pin dropping until it receives the V-shaped lug 1 1 at the bottom within the widened lower end 15 of the V-shaped groove 11, which prevents the locking-pin from turning axially and when thus held precludes the possibility of the knuckle being opened. Not only is the pin thus held at the bottom, but also it is held at the top by means of the lockset 16 and lock-stop 17. This lock-set 16 depends from the cap 9, as shown in Fig. :7, and its sole function is to hold the pin elevated when the trainman raises it While the cars are still together, avoiding the necessity of-his remaining between the cars until they pull apart, and when raised its lower end rests upon the top of the lock-stop, holding the pin up to allow the knuckle to be swung open. As the knuckle is opened the pin is turned and the lock-set drops from the lock-stop into the hole 8 out of the way, so as not to hinder the further dropping of the pin when the knuckle is closed.

The knuckle is released and if not otherwise obstructed opened by the act of raising the locking-pin, and this is accomplished by means of the following instrumentalities: An inclining cam-shaped surface or cam 18 is located at the lower end of the recess portion 19 of the locking-pin (J. This is in line with the lock-stop 17, with its upper end in the same vertical plane, although the cam 18 is normally some distance below the lock-stop. When the pin is raised until the inclining surface or cam 18 reaches the lock-stop, it causes the locking-pin to turn axially, and in so doing the edge 12 of the lockingpin swings aside out of the way of the edge 13 of the knuckle, and the projection 20 near the lower end of the pin by swinging around against the inner surface 21 of the edge 13 of the knuckle forces the latter open immediately upon its being released and permits it to be pulled open as far as indicated in Fig. 1 until the opposite edge 22 of the knuckle strikes against the back of projection 20 or the outer surface of the pin. At the bottom of the inclining surface or cam 18 the lockstop seat 23 is formed, which receives the lock-stop when the pin is raised and limits its further upward movement, and adjacent to this lock-stop seat is the stop-catch 24:, which prevents the pin from turning further. As long as the pin is held up the knuckle is prevented from entirely closing; but after it is lifted to its fullest extent it is adapted to be dropped until the shoulder 25 rests upon the lock-stop 17, where it remains in position to drop and lock the knuckle when the latter is forced shut by the coupling of two cars together, the eflect of which is to give a reverse turn to the locking-pin by the inner edge 21 striking the projection 20 and forcing it aside until the shoulder 25 turns away from the lock-stop 17 and permits the pin to drop to its normal position.

When the pin is raised and the knuckle released, the knuckle is stopped from swinging outward beyond a predetermined point by the edge 22 striking the outer surface of the projection 20 and the locking-pin is prevented from turning, thus holding the projection in the path of the edge 22 by the segmental curved surface 26 on the tail of the knuckle engaging the straight surface 27, which forms a continuation of one side of the groove 11, as shown in Figs. 6 and 10.

An ofiset 28 on a side of the V-shaped lug 14 is adapted to catch the pin and lock it when coupling on a curve, and the reduced portion 29, as shown in Fig. 6, clears the curved segment 26 when so coupled. When the pin rests on this offset 28, it is in position to drop to its normal position as soon as the cars reach a straight track.

From the foregoing it will be seen in the first place that the pulling strain is largely removed from the pin 1 and is distributed upon three different points namely, the lockingpin 0, pin 4;, and the lug 3-so that even if pin 4 should break two other points hold the knuckle securely. It will likewise be seen i that any amount of jolting of the locking-pin will not permit the latter to turn axially on account of the lock-set and lock-stop 16 and 17. Also it will be seen that the raising of the pin not only releases the knuckle, but opens it unless obstructed by an adjacent carcoupling against it. Further, it will be observed that the pin turns automatically and with precision, never too far and always far enough, so that it is always ready to respond quickly and adequately perform the functions required of it.

Slight changes might be resorted to in the form and arrangement of the several parts described without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention, and hence I do not wish to limit myself to the exact construction herein set forth; but,

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a car-coupling, the combination with a draw-head, and a knuckle, said knuckle provided with a curved segment at its tail end and the vertically-disposed edges 13 and 22 depending at the ends of the segment, whereby a cavity is formed at the extreme end of the knuckle, of a locking-pin having a V-shaped groove extending longitudinally thereof, an intermediate portion of the pin cut away so that one wall of the groove is removed to afford the clearance for the segment to turn and a remaining portion of said wall immediately beneath forming a projection to be struck by the edges 13 and 22 of the tail, the former to turn and cause an automatic lock of the knuckle and the latter a stop to limit the further opening of the knuckle.

2. In a car-coupling, the combination with a draw-head having a locking-pin hole formed vertically therein, and a lock-stop projecting into said hole at the upper end'of the drawhead, of a knuckle pivoted to the draw-head and a locking-pin having a longitudinal V- shaped groove, a recess portion 19 in communication therewith and a portion of the lower edge of the latter inclining as at 18, whereby the pin is turned axially as it is raised against the lock-stop to cause the re-' lease of the knuckle by swinging an edge of the \I-shaped groove out of the path of the tail of the knuckle.

3. In a car-coupling, the combination with a draw-head, and a knuckle pivoted therein, said knuckle having projecting edges at the tail end, of a locking-pin provided with alockset and an inclining cam, and a knuckle-locking surface, the draw-head having a lock-stop against which the cam is raised whereby to turn the pin and unlock the knuckle and cause it to swing open if not otherwise obstructed.

4:. In a car-coupling, the combination with a draw-head, anda knuckle pivoted therein, said knuckle having projecting edges at the tail end, of a locking-pin provided with a lockset and an inclining cam, and a knuckle-locking surface, the draw-head having a lock-stop against which the cam is raised whereby to turn the pin and unlock the knuckle and cause it to swing open if not otherwise obstructed, and upon which the lock-set is adapted to be rested when the pin is raised while the cars are still together.

5. In a car-coupling, the combination with a draw-head and knuckle pivoted therein, of a rotatable locking-pin having a longitudinal V-shaped groove and a recessed surface adjacent to one end of the latter, said recessed surface having a cam, a lock-stop seat and stop-catch at its lower end, and a lock-set at its upper end, and the draw-head provided with a lock-stop which operates in said recess to lock the pin against turning when in its normal position, and to cause it to turn by the engagement of the cam against it when raised whereby to release and open the knuckle.

6. In a car-coupling, the combination with a draw-head and knuckle pivoted therein, of a rotatable locking-pin having a longitudinal V-shaped groove and a recessed surface adjacent to one end of the latter, said recessed surface having a cam, a lock-stop seat and stop-catch at its lower end and a lock-set at its upper end, and the draw-head provided with a lock-stop which operates in said recess to lock the pin against turning when in its normal position, and to cause it to turn by the engagement of the cam against it when raised whereby to release and open the knuckle, and means on the knuckle for preventing the pin from opening beyond a certain predetermined position.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

MICHAEL I. WELGH. Witnesses:

J. A. LITTLEJOHN, JOE O. FENN. 

